"We just have to make cuts in other areas," she said. "So maybe not upgrading a building or putting off maintenance to vehicles" are options to help manage the budget shortfall.

Firefighters also get help from the Red Cross.

"They've also helped us out on scene when we've had different instances, too, and you know they've helped us with warming up some of our folks and things like that," Milwaukee Fire Department Deputy Chief Terry Lintonen said.

Bruesewitz said the Red Cross will make sacrifices so the people they help won't have to.

In addition to basic needs, the Red Cross also provides a place for people to go if they can't stay in their home and a debit card to buy essentials.

THE LINE. NEW AT SIX-- WHO DO YOU CALL WHEN YOU NEED HELP... AND ARE YOU SURE THEY'LL ALWAYS ANSWER? AS WISN 12 NEWS THEMA PONTON TELLS US, THE RED CROSS, WHO HELPS MORE THAN 2-MILLION PEOPLE IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN, NOW NEEDS HELP ITSELF. PONTON - "THE RED CROSS SAYS THEY RESPOND TO A DISASTER JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MAP, THESE RED DOTS THAT YOU SEE HERE SHOW EVERY DISASTER THEY'VE RESPONDED TO IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN SINCE JULY OF 2013 AND RIGHT NOW THE RED CROSS SAYS THEY ARE EXPERIENCING A BUDGET SHORTFALL OF FIFTY- SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS." COORDINATOR SARA BRUESEWITZ SAYS THEY'VE RESPONDED TO NINE MORE DISASTERS THIS YEAR, THAN AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR. AND WHILE THAT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A LOT, PROVIDING PEOPLE NECESSARY ITEMS LIKE BLANKETS, SHOES AND WARM CLOTHES AFTER A DISASTER ADDS UP. BRUESEWITZ SAYS THE RED CROSS WILL MAKE SACRIFICES SO THE PEOPLE THEY HELP WON'T HAVE TO. BRUESEWITZ - "WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE CUTS IN OTHER AREAS SO MAYBE THIS YEAR NOT UPGRADING A BUILDING OR YOU KNOW PUTTING OFF MAINTENANCE VEHICLES." IT'S NOT JUST PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP AFTER A DISASTER THE RED CROSS PROVIDES WITH BASIC NEEDS. BRUESEWITZ- "TOOTHPAST E, SHAMPOO, TISSUES, YOU KNOW TOOTHBRUSH." FIREFIGHTERS ALSO GET HELP... LINTENON-"THEY'VE ALSO HELPED US OUT ON SCENE WHEN WE'VE HAD DIFFERENT INSTANCES TOO AND YOU KNOW THEY'VE HELPED US WITH WARMING UP SOME OF OUR FOLKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT." THE RED CROSS SAYS THEY WILL ALWAYS COME WHEN SOMEONE NEEDS THEM, THEY'RE HOPING SOMEONE WILL BE THERE FOR THEM. IN MILWAUKEE, THEMA PONTON, WISN 12 NEWS. IN ADDITION TO BASIC NEEDS, THE RED CROSS ALSO PROVIDES A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO IF THEY CAN'T STAY IN THEIR HOME